Bernedoodle Puppy's Cries During First Time Home Alone Are Shattering Hearts
A puppy's entire existence consists of novel experiences: meeting new people and animals, visiting different environments, learning how to respond to commands, practicing good manners, and getting trained to sleep in a crate and go potty outside. One of the less pleasant new experiences for any puppy is being solo, with no playful littermates or friendly humans around for company.
In a heart-wrenching TikTok video that's been viewed more than 850,000 times and racked up over 57,000 likes, a Bernedoodle puppy named Philly is left home alone for the first time. The 4-month-old sweetheart cries and whimpers, keeping an eye on the door while waiting for his owner to return.
@itslilphilly the crying breaks my heart but at least he didnt get into trouble #microbernedoodle #philly #puppy
"Poor baby. So hard the first few times. So happy the day my guy didn't cry and just rolled up on the couch and slept," one viewer shared. Another commented encouragingly, "He'll get used to it...you can't be home all the time...all dogs do this when they are left alone." Some netizens criticized the Bernedoodle's owner, arguing that a 4-month-old puppy is too young to be left alone. However, the owner responded that the precious pup was alone for just eight minutes on this trial run.
Dealing with separation anxiety in puppies
Telltale signs your dog has separation anxiety include certain unpleasant behaviors whenever you leave the animal alone: barking or howling, destroying items, trembling, drooling, and peeing or pooping inside the home. If a veterinarian confirms that your pooch pal does indeed suffer from separation anxiety, there are things you can do to teach dogs and puppies to be comfortable at home alone.
Viewers of Philly's video had lots of advice to give to help the pup settle in. "Leave the TV or a radio on when you leave. It helps [dogs] not feel so alone, kind of [distracting] them. My [two] furbabies now love to watch TV," one netizen wrote. "Get him some treat puzzles or leave treats around the house so he can search for them to distract him," commented another. One person discussed the importance of taking everything slowly: "You have to ease them into it. Leave for like 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and keep increasing the time. So that way he knows you're coming back and give a reward each time." Several viewers also mentioned the usefulness of crate training the puppy and adopting a second dog as a companion. With enough time, any dog — even the sad, sweet little Bernedoodle puppy in the TikTok video — should be able to learn to tolerate being alone.
Want to see more diminutive dogs reaching monumental milestones? Check out these 22 adorable puppies doing things for the first time, and these 22 puppies climbing stairs for the first time.